


How Can You Speak of Power

by apple9131999



Series: The States of America [11]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: American Civil War, Betrayal, Dysfunctional Family, Historical Hetalia, Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 11:57:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6752971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apple9131999/pseuds/apple9131999
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...when you can't even stand?</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Can You Speak of Power

**Author's Note:**

> A 'Gotcha Day' in this universe means the day the state/states in question were added into the union and family. They are a very big deal. Like start a war if yours was forgotten important.
> 
> This is at a turning point of the war (which has gone on for about a year or so (?) don't quote me on that). The important part of bringing the war to the north is the fact that the south never got any footing in the north, which was good for northern morale but has nothing to do with this story other than the fact that the confederates never got farther than Virginia for more than one day

_Rhode Island Ave, Washington, D.C.- September 15, 1862_

* * *

Their bags had been packed since Virginia left. The Dakota’s, Nevada, and Colorado were just able to start walking, tottering around on uneven footsteps.

If Al gave the signal- in the form of him appearing randomly, California was to grab Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico and disappear the four of them to the far West. She, Minnesota, was to grab one of the twins and meet Michigan who would have the other twin. Al and Rhode Island would take the other three babies up to Rhode Island.

Scatter, Rhode Island had said at dinner the night after Virginia left. They needed to treat their once family as though they were England or France. They needed to get the territories away and hidden.

Maryland had been staying in D.C. with Al and the President. No one could contact Missouri and Kentucky went to live with Ohio for the duration of the war. Delaware had retreated with Connecticut up to New England.

No worry of them being stolen from them, no way for them to be kidnapped.

Alfred was either fighting in any battle he could get to, or he was hovering by the house. Rhode Island, since Michigan had arrived, had taken to spending long days in her room, feet tucked underneath her, staring out of the window. The twins- Kansas and Nebraska- would not go outside alone and would spend a lot of their time playing with Nevada in the stellar. Michigan and California took care of the babies, and Minnesota found herself walking with Oregon and New Mexico along the outskirts of the properties most days.

Today, however, she was alone as she skipped rocks across the surface of the river. Oregon had woken up with a touch of fever, prompting California to ground him in the house. So she was alone when Virginia approached.

Minnesota didn’t know she was being watched until she heard a soft noise of approval from behind her. She whipped around to see Virginia standing there, looking thin and wane and much worse for wear than the last time she had seen her.

Her black hair was shiny with oil and looked rather unkempt and her dress looked hastily stitched together. Virginia had never been good at sewing. There were bruises under her eyes as though she hadn’t been sleeping well. She wore a thick dress and a shawl wrapped tight even though September had not yet reached the point when the heat would turn to chill.

“Isa-” Virginia managed to say before she was cut off by a harsh cough. Her voice was quiet and hoarse when she finished and cleared her throat- wincing as though broken glass was digging into her throat. “Isabelle,” she said, smiling, her eyes pained.

“Chloë… you look… different…”

Virginia blinked at Minnesota quickly and then a smile broke across her face. “You haven’t changed.”

“You have,” Minnesota said bluntly, eyeing Virginia as the latter started coughing. And, because she couldn’t resist, “How’s the Confederacy working for you?”

Virginia straightened and her eyes widened and she smiled. “It’s great,” she said breathlessly, “I’m so strong now. I can do whatever I’d like to. No national government to breathe down my neck.” Her eyes cut back to the house at that, frowning. When she turned back to Minnesota, she scoffed. “I suppose you wouldn’t know. You aren’t a state yet-”

“I’ve been a state for four years.”

Silence.

“Have you?”

“Yes.”

Virginia looked flummoxed. “Really?”

“I remember my Gotcha-Day, Chloë. It’s okay if you don’t. It’s not like it _matters_ or anything.”

Virginia’s back straightened at the accusation and she opened her mouth to deny it, but Minnesota cut across her. “What are you doing here?”

Virginia’s jaw ticked as though she was going to say something else, but she pursed her lips and then spoke. “Has Alfred gotten my message?”

“Alfred tears up anything he gets from any of _you_.”

Virginia flinched.

“What was in this message? Another attempt to create peace? When it was your side that struck first?”

Virginia looked as though she was chewing on a particularly sour lemon. “I simply wanted to let him know that Lee plans to bring the fight North and that if he was going to scatter the children, he should do so rather quickly because Lee is coming and so is Alex. I thought we should give you fair warning. Alex didn’t. If you happen to see him on your way out, I never spoke to you about this, understood?”

Minnesota stared at Virginia for a long moment before she nodded solemnly. Virginia turned around and made to go, but stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“Good luck, Isabelle. I wish you every happiness.”

As Virginia started to walk away, Minnesota called after her, “I hope you feel better, Chloë.”

* * *

“We need to leave immediately,” she said when she walked back inside the house. California had one of the babies in the tub- a shock of blonde hair that could be anyone besides Nevada stood on end and dampened.

“Come again?” she asked as she stopped the child- blue eyes must be one of the Dakotas- from eating the bar of soap.

“The Confederates are bringing the war to the North and we need to leave now.”

California tugged the baby out of the tub and wrapped a towel around the little mongrel, letting the child chew on the end of the towel as she rounded the corner to stand in front of Minnesota. “How do you know?”

“Chloë came to see me-”

“Chloë?” California demanded as she began to look over Minnesota and then glare out of the windows. “Why were you talking to Chloë? Is she still here?”

“Alexa-”

“Isabelle, where did she go?”

“Back to her place, probably.”

“Wait, she was here? On this property?”

“Yes…?”

California paled and she grabbed Minnesota’s wrist and pulled her farther into the house, pausing to shout down the stairs for the boys to come up. She yelled for Michigan as she ran to Rhode Island’s room.

Once everyone had assembled- tension was high and most everyone reacted strongly to a hysterically teen, California- who was struggling to get South Dakota into a dress- gestured for Minnesota to speak. She barely got through the same amount she had told California before Michigan was jumping up and tugging the twins to her side.

After that it was mayhem. Babies were distributed and Alfred was somehow contacted and before Minnesota knew it, she had a hand holding Nebraska’s and her bag strapped to her back as Michigan jumped them from D.C. to Lansing.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, in case you're not obsessed with geography like me, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri are all border slave states (delaware might have been free). West Virginia is not going to exist until '63.


End file.
